Humble THQ Bundle raises over $2.4 million in just over a day

More than 425,000 purchasers help set a new record pace for the bundle.

Yesterday, I suggested that the newly launched Humble THQ Bundle might damage the popular digital distribution platform's brand, not just by eschewing less-known indie games but by putting the focus on Windows-exclusive games with Steam DRM. Since I wrote that piece, the Bundle has sold more than 425,000 copies and brought in over $2.4 million, showing that these concerns have not lessened the demand for the games being offered.

"So far, it’s been pretty well received: we’re on record pace both in total sales and number of purchases," a Humble Bundle representative told Rock Paper Shotgun regarding the early sales success. "We are hopeful that this excitement is growing our community in a way that can only help our future promotions, and rest assured that indie bundles will continue to be an important part of our business."

The one day haul already puts the THQ Bundle ahead of the total dollar amount raised by each previous Humble bundle, excepting the May 2012 Humble Indie Bundle V, which raised over $5.1 million in sales with titles like Limbo, Psychonauts, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP and Bastion. That bundle raised over $1.8 million within 15 hours of first going live.

It's not yet clear how the purchasers are splitting their money this time around. Many commenters on our last piece and around the Internet have suggested they'll be buying the THQ Bundle but choosing to donate all of the proceeds to charity this time around, rather than lending extra support to THQ or the bundlers themselves (A Humble Bundle representative was not immediately available to comment on this question). Others have pointed out that the developers who actually made the games in the THQ Bundle are unlikely to directly see any extra money from bundle sales, which will instead go into the publisher's coffers (another distinct difference from previous Indie bundles).

Still, a price as low as $1 for six high-profile games from a major publisher (or about $6 for seven such games) is an offer better than even the most generous Steam sale, and one that's apparently been a big hit with customers. Given these impressive sales, I wouldn't be surprised to see similar pay-what-you-want bundles of legacy titles from other major publishers, both through the Humble Bundle platform and elsewhere.

Promoted Comments

Personally, I never really understood the whole "reputation" or "brand" argument. The Humble Bundle to me wasn't about DRM or lack of DRM or being "indie". It was about letting you decide how much you wanted to pay for these games. It was about giving people access to games at lower prices.

Kyle Orland / Kyle is the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica, specializing in video game hardware and software. He has journalism and computer science degrees from University of Maryland. He is based in Pittsburgh, PA.